Circle Becomes US Blockchain Patent Leader with Huge IBM Acquisition

Circle has acquired over 1,000 blockchain patents from IBM, making it the largest holder in the United States. The portfolio covers a range of areas, including banking, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply chain verification, and secure cloud operations.

The deal is significant because Circle plans to deploy these patents across its entire stack, including USDC, Circle Payments Network, Arc blockchain, and AI-powered financial tools.

Circle's General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Sarah Wilson, said that intellectual property is critical to advancing their mission and expanding adoption of onchain infrastructure.